


Protect & Follow

by lezBeauregard



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brother-Sister Relationships, Character Study, Dysfunctional Family, Family Dynamics, Gen, Good Person Lex Luthor, Marijuana, Power Dynamics, Protective Lex, Rating May Change, Underage Drug Use, Underage Smoking, big brother Lex Luthor, everyone is bi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26674666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lezBeauregard/pseuds/lezBeauregard
Summary: Lex Luthor was banished to Smallville to run a fertilizer plant his father had no hope in, a test and punishment meant to temper the would-be heir, his would-be delinquent sister thrown in as an extra responsibility. Between the Luthor siblings, Lionel hoped to sow the seeds of rivalry and resentment. But when you've had no one else your whole life, just having someone can be enough.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan/Original Female Character, Clark Kent & Lex Luthor, Lex Luthor & Original Character(s), Lex Luthor & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just let Lex have one good thing in his life, one happy family relationship. Basically just capitalizing on the family dynamics we saw explored with the Julian subplot with my new OC.  
> Part a study in family dynamics and part just fun, seeing how Lex could go with one person consistently on his side and totally trusting him.

Kansas didnt have much to offer, something only made more clear in the three hour commute from Metropolis to Smallville. Corn, grass, and plenty of cows as far as the eye could see. How much cow shit was burning up in those fields? Several hundred tons, from what Charlotte Luthor could imagine as she stared out the Porsche window. Hundreds of miles of hundreds of tons of dried up cow shit, something she would be smelling for the next three years of her life if Lionel had his way. Her fingers anxiously worked the hem of her wine colored dress as she sighed more and more each hour.

"If you keep that up, I will make you walk the rest of the way." Lex said, eyes still trained on the unchanging strip of highway.

"Bullshit." Lottie snapped, her attention finally pulled from the farmland.

The Porsche slowed slightly as Lex watched his sister out of the corner of his eyes.

"Jeez, fine! I'll stop."

"Thank you."

They wouldn't even be on their way to the middle of nowhere prison of their father's making had it not been for Lex. Edging in on Lionel's assets and people was a mistake few made twice. Lex had made his third move that July, sending Lionel off the handle. Now both were sentenced to purgatory for the foreseeable future. And of course, Lottie got thrown in as an aside. She had to learn her lesson, too. If she didn't teach Lionel his first.

"Are you ready for the wonders of public school?" Lex asked, trying to alleviate the awkward silence. "You should be proud, first Luthor kid to go to public school."

"Only cause you didn't have the guts to try," Lottie said.

"Yeah, guts. Let's call it that."

The Smallville sign zipped by, welcoming the Luthor family.

* * *

The castle was immaculate. Movers and staff bustled around to get the last touches in place as the Luthor siblings strolled through. The last boxes that couldn't have been sent ahead were stacked high outside of their respective rooms. The stained glass murals around the manor doused the halls in reds and blues, staining Lottie's bleach white hair as she stopped by a box marked with her name.

"At least it's not total squalor." Lex chuckled as he opened the adjacent door.

It could have been a carbon copy of Lottie's childhood room, dressed in deep reds and golds like most of the Luthor household had. Lex stepped through, looking around before he turned back.

"How much you wanna bet he had the whole place decorated?" Lottie said.

"So much for being banished from home."

Lex ran his fingers over the red drapes adorning the only window, thick velvet that obscured the afternoon sun. With a sigh, he looked back, watching as Lottie ripped the tape off the top box. Despite the intent of the move being punishment, part of Lex hoped this move would be for the better. Neither Luthor sibling had thrived in the stifling environment back in Metropolis, the air heavy with resentment and disappointment. They may have been in Hicksville, but for once they were together without Lionel hanging over their heads.

"You want to go on a drive?" Lex asked. "Let things settle here, we can go see the town."

Lottie hummed noncommittally, shifting through the box before she sighed and finally peered through the doorway.

"On a scale of my ninth birthday to your graduation, how much do you think dad would interfere if I did some redecorating?" She asked, circling the plush bed fit for the Queen.

"Go to town. Staffs all mine, anyways, no one should rat you out." Lex said, wrapping an arm around his sisters shoulders and planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Listen, you're still a kid. Dad can push me around the company all he wants, but you don't have anyone to answer to but me right now. You may have the guts to get kicked out of every private school he's got money in, but I've got the first son immunity. Do whatever."

Lottie looked up at her brother, a smile finally breaking through her teen angst.

"Okay. Enjoy your drive." 

With a laugh and quick tossle of his sisters hair, Lex was out. His quick exit from the bustling castle was played out by the echoes of ripping fabrics and crashing furniture as Lex pulled his driving gloves back on, making a mental note to call someone unattached to their father to spruce up the place.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while watching season four I realized season one started in October of their Freshman year?? I always thought it was the first day, so we're going with that headcanon!  
> Also I know cell phone car safety wasn't as big a thing in 2001 (trust me, I remember the commercials) but it's 2020, don't use your phone while driving.

Ambulance sirens wailed at the river bank as paramedics and police scattered around the area. The bustle of it all was lost on the two people sat at the edge, heavy blankets draped over their shoulders. Lex was kicking himself for being so careless, looking over at the kid who had saved him and thanking the powers that be he'd been there. That he hadn't actually hit this kid. It had looked like he was right there, flung by the nose of the car into the river with Lex. The spiral of thoughts caught Lex until there was a screech of tires and voices yelling. Before Lex could react, Lottie had fallen in front of him, blue eyes wide and watery as her fingers sunk into his shoulders.

"Lex! Oh my god, Lex, what happened?!" She cried, looking over him.

"Who was the maniac driving that thing?!" Another voice called out from nearby.

The Luthor siblings looked towards the voice, a tall, blond farmer standing over the kid Lex barely missed. He was less of a kid and more of an Adonis, ridiculously sharp cheekbones and huge shoulders made him tower over the older man. Lex patted Lottie's hand and whispered a quick word before standing.

"That was me." He said, holding his bare hand out to the man.

Lottie trailed not to far behind, still taking in the scene as tears finally spilled down.

"Lex Luthor." He dropped his hand, looking between the two for a moment. "Your son, Clark, he saved me down there. Jumped in after me."

It was a painful pause as the blond man looked between Lex and Lottie, a flicker of recognition turning him silent. Clark's head was bowed like he was in trouble, slipping the blanket off and setting it on the rock he'd been sat on.

"My sister and I just moved here, I'm sure she's thankful you didn't let our first day in Smallville end in tragedy." Lex continued, trying to fill the awkward silence.

"Well, welcome." The man said, still gauging the two before gripping his son's large shoulder. "If you don't mind, we're leaving."

And with his final words, the two began their way to the truck pulled just feet away from the car and driver Lottie had just flung herself from. The shock of everything was still washing over the two, watching the backs of the two men retreating. One moment, she'd been on the phone reporting the quick work she'd made of the horrible room Lionel had prepared for her, settling for now in the less garish guest quarters and the next there had been a horrible crunching noise. But here he was, perfectly fine and barely a scratch. It felt like a miracle. That kid, Clark, had done a miracle.

"You idiot, next time don't answer your phone while you're driving!" Lottie snapped, the fear finally turning to anger as she hit her brother's shoulder.

"Ow." Lex said, his voice dripping in sarcasm as he grabbed his shoulder. "Is that anyway to treat me after a near death experience?"

"I didn't think you'd actually pick up if you were driving!"

"Come on, you don't need to be here. Go home while I finish up here." Lex said, trying to guide Lottie back to the car.

"Who'd gonna drive you home?" She asked, her anxiety barely relieved after finding Lex in one piece.

"I'll call for a car."

"Your cell is _not_ gonna help you now."

"I'll call from the hospital."

" _Hospital_ _?_ "

Wrong choice of words. The panic was plain on Lottie's face now, watching her brother as tears welled up again and a flush worked it's way up her neck. Lex was normally more careful with his words during events like this, but he still hadn't quite gotten his footing after being pulled free. With a deep breath, Lex centered himself and took Lottie by the shoulders, locking eyes with her.

"I'm okay. Paramedics already gave me a look over, but we just want to be safe. Okay?" He said, squeezing gently. "I won't disappear."

"Promise?" It came out as barely a whisper as Lottie started picking at the skin around her nails.

"I promise."

Not caring how wet she got, Lottie wrapped her arms around her brother, burying her face in his chest as her bangs plastered themselves to her forehead. They held each other for a minute as she calmed down. Stepping back, she wiped at her face and gave a halfhearted smile.

"I'll see you at home," Lex said. 


	3. Chapter 3

The excitement of moving wore off quickly as the coming days passed. In relative ease, the weekend gave time for a reset before the school week began. Lex came home already feeling his scrapes and bruises mending, immediately jumping into the last arrangements for the new home. The carnage that was Lottie's room was impressive, busted furniture taken out plank by plank as feather stuffing and threadbare sheets trailed in its wake. It left a blank canvas for a Metropolis designer coming in that week to work off of.

Until then, there was the matter of Clark Kent to attend to.

Since returning home, Lottie had almost been glued to Lex. Her usual anxiety spiked to a whole new level after almost losing her brother, spending her afternoon sat on one of the leather couches as Lex did his business, peering over a book every couple minutes.

"Should I dismiss Darius?" He asked, scrolling through car listings. 

"What?" Lottie perked up, her brow knit together.

"Well, you seen to be watching me so closely I don't think I need a security detail anymore."

Lottie rolled her eyes, snapping the book shut.

"Hey, come on." Lex closed his laptop and walked around the desk. "I know you're freaked out, this week has been a lot."

"By Luthor standards its been a cake walk," Lottie said.

"Then why the watch dog routine?"

The two watched each other for a moment before Lottie sighed, settling the book in her lap.

"Something feels off." She said, keeping the statement short.

"I understand that." Lex added. "What do you think is 'off'?"

"Well, a lot," she began. "Sending you out here makes sense, but dad has always been about divide and conquer. It feels like he's getting ready to pull the rug out from under us."

"I could have told you that last week." Lex chuckled.

"Then why agree to all this?" Lottie set aside her book and turned to face Lex, her arms resting on the back of the leather couch. "Since we were kids, he never took an eye off us, sent us to totally different boarding schools. Never co-ed so we couldn't complain about never seeing each other."

"I thought you didn't mind the all girls schools."

"Besides the point." Lottie rolled her eyes, falling back on the couch as she took a deep breath. "He's not an idiot, so what is he planning?"

"Right now? Who knows." Lex said. "But we just got here, so you let me worry about what dad may or may not do until he actually does something."

"But-"

"Charlotte." For a moment, Lottie was frozen. Lex so rarely used her proper name. "You're still a kid. You may be a Luthor but you don't need to get in the middle of all this. So for now, just be a kid."

For a long moment, the two watched each other. The last thing Lottie wanted to be, but Lex had a point.

"Fine, but I'm coming to the Kent farm, too." Lottie said, jumping from the couch and trotting towards the hall. "I'd like to thank Clark, too."

* * *

Getting the car at such short notice was the easy part of thanking Clark. With an extra tip in the car dealers pocket, it was on the way to Kent farm in a few short hours. Driving up the dirt road, the Luthor siblings watched the Kent's walk out on the porch, sans Clark.

"Brace yourself, we're in shotgun territory." Lex said, a smirk on his lips as he put the car in park as their ride home pulled up behind.

"When are we not." Lottie said, slipping out of the car pie in hand 

The hours waiting for the car from Metropolis had given way to idyllic fantasies. If Lex insisted his sister just be a kid, she'd just be a kid and learn to fit in around the little farming community. After dismissing the cooks, she had set to making a simple, apple pie with the local produce delivered the day before. For never cooking a day in her life, Lottie was proud of herself and hoped the homey touch would soften the edges of a brand new car.

"And to what do we owe this visit?" Mr. Kent asked from the porch.

"Hi, we didn't get to meet properly the other day." Lottie said, skipping ahead of Lex. "Lottie Luthor, it's nice to meet you."

"Excuse my sister's forwardness, I hope we aren't intruding." Lex said as he approached.

"Oh, the Luthor's." Mrs. Kent said, looking between them. "Ah, well, that must make you Lex."

Lottie could tell they recognized them, there was a flicker behind the eyes one learned after so many years with a name like their's.

"Is Clark around?" Lottie asked.

The way the couple stiffened at their son's name was an unexpected change as Lex took his place beside Lottie. For a moment, they gapped and looked between each other.

"He's at a friend's right now." Mr. Kent finally said.

"Oh, well... we came baring thanks." Lottie said, holding out the pie. "For saving my brother."

"And that called for a caravan?" Mr. Kent said, his tone like ice.

"Jonathan." Mrs. Kent scolded, taking the foil tended pie. "Thank you, this is very sweet."

"It's not just for show, actually." Lex answered, using his best press conference smile. "Its a part of my thank you to Clark."

He held out the keys, dangling out for one of the Kent's to take.

"I'm sorry?"

"For Clark." Lex said, smile still fixed in place. "I figured-"

"Thanks but no thanks." Mr. Kent said, his face set like stone. "You Luthor's think you can come to Smallville and just throw your money around like this? Clark pulled you out of that water and that was the end of this. We don't need something to be held over our heads."

Like Lionel would, Lex thought. The thought hit a chink in his armor, making the perfected smile twitch. A long, tense pause surrounded the group as Lex's hand fell. After a breath, Lex took the first step up the porch and took Mrs. Kent's hand, placing the keys inside.

"I promise you, this is by no means meant to be leverage." He smiled, the press facade slipping as he looked into her eyes. "I hope you have a lovely afternoon."

Stepping back, Lex guided Lottie by the shoulders back to the car Darius stood beside, opening the back door.

"Um, I hope you enjoy the pie!" Lottie called back, looking over her shoulder. "It's homemade."

She slid in before Lex, buckling in as she watched the couple through tinted windows. The entire time they pulled out of the farm road, the Kent couple kept eyes locked other car until it was a speck in the distance.


	4. Chapter 4

The weight of the first day at school almost pushed Lottie through the floor as she hurried through the bustling crowds of kids. As she pushed open the large red doors leading outside she breathed a fresh breath of late summer air. With each clop of her boots, Lottie took deep breaths before ducking around the storage shed behind the back lot. There was only an hour of free period she'd had scheduled before lunch, giving her plenty of time.

Dropping her side bag, Lottie sat cross legged with her back against the concrete wall and pulled out a silver cigarette tin. Inside were four pre-rolled joints and a little wire holder she slipped over the end of one of the joints. Bringing it up to her lips, she slid an LL engraved lighter from her jacket pocket and lit the end.

The smoke stung as it filled her lungs, thick streams swirling around her head as she held it down for a long moment. A cough caught Lottie off guard, her calm, deep breaths turning into a hacking. As she waved away the smoke, coughing into her elbow before looking for the offending party.

"Hey." Clark Kent said, standing awkwardly around the corner. "I, uh, wanted to give you a proper Smallville welcome."

"Are you gonna go to the principal?" Lottie asked.

"Well, I have a feeling if I do it's either going to get covered up or Lex won't be happy with either of us." Clark took a seat against the wall, just far enough he was outside the cloud of skunky air.

"Oh yeah, he didn't waste his spring breaks teaching me how not to get caught for the farm boy supreme to find me on a lucky break."

For a moment, Lottie paused and took stock of Clark before bringing the joint back to her lips and inhaling again. She held the smoke in for an extra second before blowing out and stubbing her joint out and returning it to the little tin.

"So what's the Smallville welcome?" She asked. "Besides saving drowning millionaires."

"Well, I was going to offer you a tour." Clark said, laughing. "And... a bit of a warning."

"Warning?" Lottie reached into her backpack, pulling out a plastic wrapped panini. "That's ominous. Am I about to be hazed?"

"No, the football team usually leaves new girls alone. It's my friend, Chloe. She's determined to get an exclusive with you for the school paper," he said. "She can be a lot, doesn't really pull punches when it comes to your family."

"Wow, even school papers want our dirty little secrets." Lottie laughed before taking a bite.

She might as well have not eaten for a week, the sandwich tasted so good. For a moment she debated if it was the weed or the fresh tomatoes and beef the kitchen had gotten from one of the local farms. It could have been either, all Lottie cared is that for now it was the best thing she'd eaten, even if she said that every time she got the munchies.

"Yeah... she means the best, I promise."

"Is she free now?" Lottie asked, tossing the last bite into her mouth.

"I think she has a math class right now." Clark said, watching as she started rummaging through the bag and pulled out a small bottle of Listerine and another of perfume.

A swig of burning freshness and spray of imported musk later, Lottie was packing her things away and stood.

"Well, then how about that tour. Besides, I'd like to get to know the big hero some more."

"Okay, but only if you drop the hero thing." Clark stood, brushing off his jeans. "Like I told Lex, it was just the right thing."

"Yeah, but-" Lottie's eyes caught on a distant figure, standing just beyond the school bounds as her blood went cold. "But... I just remembered I already have a lot of homework. How about you give me that tour at lunch so I can avoid your reporter friend for another day?"

She smiled at Clark, keeping her tone as even and happy as possible as her haze grew twitchy and nervous.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure." He smiled, pulling his backpack up a little further up his shoulder.

With a wave, Clark made his way back to the school. As soon as he was out of sight, Lottie started her march towards the edge of school property. Just feet from the balding man, she stopped in her tracks, one hand shoved in her side bag and the other in her jacket fingering the stolen lighter.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"Hello to you, too, Miss Luthor." His smile was as slimy as the cheap suit the reporter was wearing. "It's nice to meet you face to face. My name is Roger Nixon, I'm with the Inquisitor."

He held out a hand to shake as Lottie stared him down.

"You run out of stories in Metropolis or is this you trying to make connections with innocent high school girls?" She asked, flipping the lid of the lighter on and off. "I think staff would find it interesting if they saw you running from a screaming teenager."

"Now, now, I'm not here for anything other than a friendly visit." Nixon said, his smile growing. "I heard about this big movie, interesting seeing the Luthor siblings united at last. I guess Lionel's money can only reach so many schools before you have to start slumming it."

"Says the man in a fifty dollar suit," she spat. "I ask again, what do you want, Mr. Nixon?"

"I'm curious how small town life is treating the infamous Luthor siblings. Between your multiple expulsions and your brother's torrid history, we started a bet back in Metropolis. How long until someone... has an accident."

Lottie's jaw clenched as her free hand clutched the bottle of mouthwash in her side bag, working the lid nervously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Lottie said. "If you're trying to get money out of us, you're barking up the wrong tree. If you want a story, I'd be glad to make sure you make headlines."

"How so?" Nixon looked over the girl in front of him, her neatly tied back hair beginning to blow in the breeze.

The first thought that popped into Lottie's mind was to throw the bottle at the man and set him ablaze, cry self defense until it got swept under the rug as usual. There were no witnesses, none she could see from her place. It would be easy. Her next was to just run and scream stranger danger, get him put away as long as money could buy. Instead, she took a deep breath and smiled.

"I think you should take the easy route and bother someone else." She said, releasing the lighter in her jacket pocket as she tucked a stray hair aside. "Especially with how exploiting a minor for your story would look. I don't deal with Lex's messes, so you'll have to talk to him about this supposed torrid past you found."

"Maybe I will."

Lottie turned, beginning her way back to the school.

"Oh, and if I find any photos from today out and about, I hope you have your affairs in order." She called back.

"Is that a threat, Miss Luthor?" Nixon asked.

"No, just a suggestion."


	5. Chapter 5

It was against every teaching in the Luthor handbook. Don't talk, don't ask for off the record because it never is, and never even joke about pleading the fifth. Sarcasm didn't translate over a written article. Yet Lottie popped her head into the Torch office.just inside she watched as a perky blonde girl tapped away at a keyboard as a black boy tacked up articles to the opposite wall. Lottie knocked on the doorframe, waving as all eyes turned on her.

"Hi, I'm looking for Chloe Sullivan," she said. "Clark Kent said something about an interview."

"Oh... oh!" The blonde girl stood quickly, roller chair floating back. "Yes, hello, I'm Chloe. You're Charlotte Luthor."

"Yeah." Lottie smiled, meeting Chloe halfway and shaking her hand before turning to the other kid. "I didn't realize even school newspapers wanted a Luthor exclusive."

"It's supposed to be a new student profile." He said, shaking Lottie's hand. "Name's Pete."

"Nice to meet you, Pete." She said, taking a seat beside Chloe's desk. "Well, I'm an open book. Go ahead."

Behind the girls, Pete snorted as he out up another article. Chloe shot him a look as Lottie settled, pulling a hair tie from her bag and stretch it between her fingers.

"So, what brings you to Smallville High?" Chloe asked, setting a tape recorder between them. "Especially for your sophomore year, its kind of unusual to be uprooted mid high school."

For a moment, Lottie stayed quiet. Years of press training settled in as she composed her answer. Details of the cover story pulled to the front of her mind.

"While private school is nice, I'm not as academically inclined as my brother, Lex. I do better getting my hands dirty and learning one on one," she said. "So when he was assigned to the the Smallville plant, our father decided I should learn the ropes and pulled me out of private school to shadow him outside of school."

"Lionel Luthor puts experiance before prestige? Never heard that before." Chloe said, her pen tapping at the table.

"Theres a lot people don't hear." Lottie smiled, watching the flicker of interest behind Chloe's eyes.

"Like?" She asked.

"I thought this was a student profile," Lottie said.

For a moment, Chloe blinked, watching as Lottie leaned back in her seat. The room was quiet, except for the ticking of the wall clock, even Pete pausing his task. All Lottie did was smile at the blonde, still working the rubber band between her fingers.

"Is... there anything you _can_ share?" Chloe finally asked.

"Like?"

"Are you just going to tease me with hooks?" Chloe asked, leaning over the recorder.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lottie sighed, looking up at the clock by the door. "I'm sorry, I need to get home. If you want to continue the profile, feel free to drop by whenever."

Pulling her bag over her shoulder, Lottie leaned over the desk and clicked off the tape.

"I'm sure in a town this small you already know my address." She grabbed the pen in Chloe's hand, letting her fingertips graze the back if her hand. "Here's my number if you can't find it."

She scribbled the landline number upside down at the top of a stray notepad. Their eyes met again for one moment and Lottie took in the sight.

Chloe was cute, even as Lottie had tugged her around in the short interview. It was fun to mess with reporters, but it was more fun to tease a cute girl. Her quirky bob spiked out in every direction, eyes wide and unblinking, ink stains on her hands. Whether it was just for fun or to push back the eventual interrogation Clark had warned her of, Lottie was excited to see how Chloe took her teasing.

"Call me."

Lottie strolled out, leaving the confused pair of friends in her wake. Hurrying over, Pete snatched the notepad and reas off the numbers.

"Damn, you got her number in five minutes, that would have taken me _weeks._ " He said, tapping the pad.

"Huh?" Chloe blinked, shaking her head. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Pete looked over his friend for a moment before chuckling, dropping the paper next to her.

"Come on, if you're not getting that profile then you have to help with this weird ass collage." He said, grabbing another stack of Chloe's cut outs.

"Yeah... yeah, sure." She said, standing and hurrying over. "Kinda like that... my wall of weird."

The two laughed, starting to tack up more articles as they poked and chuckled together.


	6. Chapter 6

The days almost felt like they bled together for the first month in Smallville. Somehow, it felt almost normal. During the week, Lottie would come home after fielding questions from Chloe, sometimes surprised with Clark at the mansion before her. She did her homework like a good kid and spent the time until dinner exploring.

Dozens of rooms, some furnished and some left to collect dust. Up in the tower, she found a beautiful view across the surrounding trees and fields. It was washed of green and gold land as far as she could see until you turned and the small patch of town that was Smallville came into view. It was growing on Lottie, so much quieter than Metropolis. Lex had seemed to grow into the town, too, taking Clark under his wing after the two bonded over the bridge accident.

It was a brisk Saturday afternoon when Lottie finished her homework for the week and made her way up to the tower, cigarette case in hand. She held her black sweater dress close as a breeze went straight through her.

The sun was still high in the sky, but growing redder as the season grew later. It cast the surrounding landscape in autumnal tones, looking like a painting with his broad strokes of burnt oranges and yellows. It occupied the front of her mind, distracting and narrowing her thoughts as she brought the joint to her lips and breathed deeply.

Just as she began to relax, a hand came out of nowhere and snatched it from between her lips. Suddenly sputtering and coughing, Lottie collected herself and looked across the tower. Lex leaned against the opposite ledge, chuckling to himself as he rolled the joint between his fingers, smoke streaming up from the lit tip.

"So this is where you keep disappearing to." He said, smiling as he took a drag and handed the joint back.

"Knock next time, jeez." Lottie whined. "Whats up?"

He just shrugged, turning to look over the wide expanse Lottie had just been taking in. Hopping off her ledge, Lottie walked around the trap door entrance and leaned against the wall, puffing on her joint before holding it to Lex. He took it silently, sighing deeply.

"I have to head back to Metropolis next week. Dad," he said, the annoyance laced venom dripping from the word, "has started piling up the issues with how the plant is being run."

"What a surprise."

A familiar silence settled over the siblings as they passed the joint between them. The world at last seemed to fade and smooth until it focused to a pin prick and they might as well have been hiding out back at home. It could have been nine years ago, hiding in the laundry room and crying together over the last of their brothers blankets they snuck away. It could have been three years ago when Lex first caught Lottie smoking weed and lectured her for an hour about getting caught and took the pathetic stash she'd gotten from a kid at school to smoke himself. It was always the same, year in and year out, except this time there was no stretches of lonely time between.

Now all Lex and Lottie had, truly, was each other.

"I met a girl." Lottie said, stubbing out the last embers of the joint.

"And how much will be the legal fees this time?" Lex asked, a shit eating grin spread over his face. "Hey!"

Lex barely dodged as his sister kicked at him, her face contorted in annoyance.

"That was one time!" She snapped.

"One time very recently." Lex laughed, taking a seat on the ledge as Lottie leaned against the wall. "You kind of outted the deans daughter."

"She started it," she mumbled.

"They always do... So the new girl?"

"Well, Clark introduced us, kind of." Lottie began, picking at the hem of her dress as the breeze blew around her blonde curls. "And she's kind of a reporter."

Suddenly, Lottie felt hot all over, red creeping up her neck as she met the intense glare Lex was throwing her way.

"A _what_?" He asked. "And how old is this girl, exactly?"

"Don't be gross, she's a freshman." Lottie said, quickly looking away. "She works on the school paper, its nothing that big."

Lex chuckled, shaking his head.

"She wouldn't happen to be Clark's friend, Chloe Sullivan, would she?" He asked, leaning his head back against the wall.

"She has quite the reputation." Lottie laughed.

"Miss Sullivan has been snooping around, she somehow got our number even." Lex sighed. "Any idea how she got that?"

"Nope." Lottie lied, pushing off the ledge and sliding down the tower entrance. "I'm getting munchie, I'm going on a pantry raid."

"You do that."

Lex laughed as he watched Lottie disappear, the happy haze still settling deep. Leaving his graduate program at Yale to run the plant was less than desirable. He hadn't expected the attempted take over to fail as hard as it was. Staff vetting increased significantly after that. Another whistle-blower and he was done with the roundabout way of things. And if it meant a little quiet time with his sister, until Lionel got inevitably bored.

"Hey!" Lottie's blonde head popped up from the trap door. "Come on, pantry raid, what are you waiting for?"


	7. Chapter 7

Something felt off as Lex walked through the mansion, sliding off his driving gloves and jacket. It was too quiet. The staff were always good at staying out of sight and earshot but this was unnerving. It wasn't until Lex reached his office he wished he'd taken the hint and left.

Sat behind his desk, scrolling through the open laptop, was Lionel Luthor himself.

Lex would bet his inheritance the man had just left the salon. Everything about the man was immaculate and well manicured, from his freshly pressed suit to his blown out hair.

"Ah, Lex, there you are." He said, a shit eating grin plastered over his face. "I was beginning to think you'd never show."

"I'm starting to think I shouldn't have." Lex sighed, tossing his jacket on the black couch before making a b-line for the bar. "And to what do I owe the visit?"

"Can't a father visit his only children?" Lionel asked, swiveling in the office chair to watch Lex.

"Not when you're a Luthor."

Popping open a bottle, Lex poured himself a glass of scotch. After running around the plant and jumping through corporate hoops, he needed something to take the edge off this interaction. If he was lucky, Lionel would be gone soon enough. If he wasn't, this would be a long visit. A long, tense family dinner and weekend stay visit. There were many reasons that could end in disaster.

"I wanted to see how country life was treating you and Charlotte." Lionel said.

He stood, walking around the bar and picking up the bottle scotch bottle. Uncorking the bottle, he swirled it under his nose and took a deep sniff.

"Your attitude hasn't seemed to improve, unfortunately."

"Neither has yours." Lex snapped.

The silence was deafening as the two men stared each other down. It was Lionel who cracked first, scoffing before pouring himself a drink.

"Careful, Lex. You're letting your feelings get the better of you." He said, sipping from his glass. "Now, where's your little sister?"

"School. Should be back any minute," Lex said. "And you know how Lottie doesn't care about letting her feelings get the better of her."

"As to be expected, she is a girl." Lionel sighed. "I just wish I'd bee ass successful curbing her outbursts as you were enabling them."

If Lex clenched his jaw any harder, there would be a lot to explain to the dentist. All he could do was breath, taking a long drink. The scotch burned going down before a comforting warmth spread through Lex's chest. He took another deep breath and turned to face his father.

"God, Lex! You wouldn't believe the da-"

The office door swung open as Lottie trotted in. She was almost glowing when Lionel saw her, blonde curls held back by a thin hair babd bouncing around her warm face. Like the perfect little school girl, black sweater tucked into a matching pleated skirt and brown leather side bag slung over her shoulder. All Lionel could think was how much she looked like her mother. All the warmth was sapped from Lottie's face the moment their eyes meant and suddenly she looked all her father.

"What is he doing here?" She asked, looking to Lex.

"Just leaving, weren't you, dad?" Lex said.

"Actually, I was thinking we should spend some time together. As a family."

"Haven't you punished us enough?" Lottie snapped.

"Now, is that anyway to tal-"

"Excuse me, I thought it was you who said back talk was for the uncreative?" She interrupted, arms crossed over her chest. 

Part of Lex knew he should stop the exchange, that it would only lead to more issues, but another part reveled in watching the silent shock growing behind Lionel's eyes. Instead, he sipped at his scotch, remembering his own adolescent spars with their father.

"I see small town living has only emboldened your attitude." Lionel said. "I hope your other illicit activities underwraps."

"Do you mean have I been caught with the principals daughter behind the bleachers? No, your reputations safe for now."

Lex snorted, chuckling into his glass as he covered it with a sip. Turning and making his way to the desk, he could feel Lionel's eyes burning into the back of his head.

"Why do I have the feeling sending both of you to the middle of nowhere was a mistake?" He asked. "Maybe you should come back to Metropolis, Charlotte. I think a personal tutor will be more fitting than some... farm town _public_ school."

"You can't do that." Lottie said.

"I am your father, I can do as I see fit." Lionel snapped.

It was a split second before things erupted. At one minute, the family squabbling was very run of the mill, average dinner talk. The next, a decorative orb was being launched across the study and shattering the window pane a good foot from Lionel's head. The shattering sent the two men into a frenzy, jumping out of the way of stray glass.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Lionel yelled, whipping around to see the empty doorway.

The sound of running echoed through the study and halls. The two men shared a look before a smile broke out over Lex's face, raising a glass to his father.

"Gotta say, she's got your aim."

"And your commitment to finishing the job." Lionel spat, sighing deeply. "It doesn't appear this arrangement is benefitting the two of you the way I hoped. I really hoped after your first month here would have evened out tempers. Don't expect this to last much longer if you can't reign her in."

"Well, _dad,_ which do you want?" Lex sighed, looking over the shattered window pane. "Me to run your plant or run your kid?"

Lionel's jaw clenched as he looked over his son.

"Next time I visit, she had better be under control."

And Lex was left standing at the window, watching out the broken pane. 


	8. Chapter 8

The tears welling up in Lottie's eyes almost blinded her as she ran down the road leading from the mansion. She'd let her temper get the better of herself again, she let Lionel get the upper hand. Now he was going to take her away from Lex again. The hot tears rolled down Lottie's face as she slowed her pace, sobs bubbling up in her chest.

"Lottie?"

Looking up, Lottie could see the blurry form of Clark at the head of the road.

"Hey, what happened?" He asked, walking closer as Lottie scrubbed her face.

"Nothing. It's nothing, I-" A hiccup caught in her throat as the tears kept falling.

It was humiliating, standing there as her emotions got the better of her in front of some farm kid. She didn't even question why Clark was there, now helping her sit on a fallen tree off the long driveway, a warm hand pressed on her back. It was a grounding force feeling someone as solid and warm as Clark beside Lottie as she took long, deep breaths.

"Did something happen?" He asked, still rubbing her back.

Lottie couldn't help laughing, her face beet red as she wiped her eyes.

"No, I'm just practicing my hysterics." She quipped. "Sorry, Clark. That was uncalled for."

"Hey, its okay." He said.

As they sat on the fallen tree, the sound of a helicopter starting up echoed through the property. Rising from the back of the mansion, the Luthor copter rose up and began its trek away from Smallville.

"Be glad you haven't run into Lionel Luthor yet." Lottie said, taking another deep breath. 

"This is because of your dad?" Clark asked, his brow furrowing.

"Oh, you have no idea," she laughed. "He wants to take me back to Metropolis."

"And you don't want to? Honestly, I kinda got the impression you'd prefer it there." Clark said, his kind smile radiating out. "You haven't exactly put a lot of effort into integrating with the student body."

"I guess I haven't." Lottie laughed weakly, sniffing before she took a deep breath. "Is Chloe mad I left her hanging on that article?"

"Mad? No." He sighed. "Furstrated and taking it out on the paper staff? Absolutely."

They laughed together and things started to feel a little better, the panic finally starting to subside. For a minute, they just sat there, just listening to the calm rustling of the breeze through the trees. It was a beautiful day, Lottie realized, and sitting here with the human equivalent of a sunbeam made it feel a little brighter.

"Oh shit, you were here to see Lex, weren't you?" She asked. "I'm sorry, he should still be in the study."

"If your dad just left, maybe i should come back another day," Clark said.

"No, I think thats actually a good idea. Come on, farm boy, you've been the resident Luthor whisperer." Lottie laughed, standing from the tree and waving for Clark to follow.

The two made their way through the mansion, laughing together as Lottie processed their conversation. All things considered, she had just assumed things would work out now that she was living with Lex. No deans or nuns to battle day to day, getting to relax in a home she wasn't a prisoner in. But Lottie had been difficult to the Smallville student body, not even making an effort to ingratiate herself into a circle of stones who wouldn't care if she contributed to the circle of not during lunch smoke outs. Instead, she had isolated herself behind the school during free periods and was straight home as soon as school was out.

"He should be right through there." Lottie said, motioning to the office doors as they approached.

"Are you coming in?" Clark asked.

"No, I think I owe Chloe a phone call." She said. "I'll see you at school."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

* * *

The search for the Sullivan home number was thankfully short after Lottie realized it was the same Sullivan family as at the plant. The phone rang for a long time before there was a click and Lottie took a deep breath.

"Sullivan residence, Gabe speaking." A man said.

"Hi, I'm looking for Chloe?" Lottie said, laying back on her pink comforter.

"Oh, yes, she's right here." The receiver passed hands as the pair on the other hand whispered.

"Hello?" Even over the phone, Chloe sounded chipper.

"Hey." Lottie said, clearing her throat. "It's Lottie."

"I was wondering when the radio silence would end." Chloe said. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"We never finished that interview, and it was rude of me to not give you _something_ to work with."

"It really was. So, is this call on or off the record?" Chloe asked.

"What do you want it to be?" Lottie asked.

The line was silent, the only sound letting Lottie know the call hadn't dropped was Chloe's gentle breathing. After a moment, there was movement on the other end and the sound of a door clicking closed.

"So, off the record, how are you adapting to Smallville life?" She finally said, bringing a smile to Lottie's face.

"Being honest? It's growing on me."

They laughed together and Lottie started to feel a little less lonely.


	9. Chapter 9

The coffee shop was bustling as Chloe sat with a steaming latte, fiddling with her tape recorder. She'd shown up almost an hour early, anxiously overprepared for her impending interview. At every jingle of the bell hung over the door, she jumped to attention and tried to look natural. It was never Lottie.

Until suddenly it was. Sliding into place, Lottie sipped her mocha.

"Hey." She said with a practiced nonchalance.

"Hey." Chloe said, swallowing thickly before she clicked on the recorder.

"And just like that we're on the record?" Lottie asked, her eyes almost burning as they looked over her.

"Well, yeah, I thought this was an interview," she said. "Usually those are on the record."

Lottie laughed, tucking a piece of hair that fell loose from her headband behind her ear. For a moment, Chloe's eyes lingered on her fingers as they moved from her hair to her cup. They were slim and tipped with black crescents, tapping rhythmically against the ceramic cup.

"I hope we can still talk off the record after." Lottie said, laughing as Chloe's attention snapped back to her. "If you're okay with that."

"Yeah, of course." Chloe laughed. "If you haven't shopped up and down downtown already, I'd be glad to give you a tour."

"That sounds fun," she said, leaning back in her chair. "So, shoot your questions."

"So, you came to Smallville to shadow your brother, Lex. Do you plan on taking on the Luthor legacy, too?" Chloe asked, sliding the recorder closer to Lottie.

"Perhaps, fifteen feels young to know for sure," she mused. "I may go on to do something else in school with the leadership skills I pick up."

"The first Luthor to not study science? Rebelious." Chloe said.

"Bonuses of being the second born." Lottie laughed, smiling over her cup at her. "Maybe try Women and Gender Studies at MetU."

"Why that?" Chloe leaned closer over the table.

"Why not?" Leaning in, Lottie let her eyes wander over the other's features. "I think it's a fascinating field of study."

For a moment, everything seemed to fade around Chloe as she trained herself on those gray blue eyes. She was acutely aware of how close they were, leaned in like they were trading secrets instead of doing a standard new student profile. Heat rose in her face as Chloe finally pulled back, clearing her throat.

"There's a lot that can be surmised from that, why don't you tell us a bit more about yourself to clear that up?" She asked.

"Chloe..." Lottie sighed, quickly clicking off the recorder. "Let's stop beating around the bush. Ask me what you're really thinking, off the record, and then we can finish this on the same page."

Chloe swallowed, searching for words for a moment. She didn't know what to say for once in her life, trying to figure out what to say.

"Chloe?" Lottie leaned back in, catching Chloe's gaze. "If you're wondering, I am a lesbian. And I don't care if people surmise that from this interview."

"Good, because you aren't doing very good at hiding it." Chloe blurted, her face growing red.

"Are you...?" Lottie let the question hang, sipping her coffee.

"I... I'm, uh..."

It was the first time in Chloe's memory she had actually been asked something like that. In honesty, she hadn't even questioned it. Since moving to Smallville, it had been just Clark and she never had a reason to question otherwise. Why would she? Now, Chloe wondered if she should.

"It's okay, don't push yourself." Lottie said, leaning back. "I was just curious. And I promise I won't hit on you, unless you want me to."

She took a long drink from her mocha before settling in her seat, watching the few moments it took Chloe to come back to herself.

"Um... yeah, I- uh, guess all that money comes with a level of confidence." She finally said.

Lottie shrugged, tapping on the recorder.

"Now that we've cleared the air..."

Chloe quickly drained her latte, clearing her throat.

"Well, what are your interests outside of school?" She asked.

"I read. Stoker, Shelley, King."

"If you like the ooky spooky, you're gonna love it here." Chloe quipped.

"Ooky spooky? Smallville?" Lottie leaned in. "Care to elaborate?"

Biting her lip, Chloe looked from the new girl in front of her to the recorder between them. She quickly turned it off and slipped it back into her bag.

"We've got enough for now. Let's walk, theres a lot to catch you up on."

The way Chloe's face lit up at the idea of telling her everything, it made Lottie's heart skip a best. She hopped up, drinking the last of her coffee before leaving it at the counter with Chloe's before slipping out with her.

"So, what's so spooky about a quiet, little farm town?" Lottie asked, walking down the street.

"Well, to understand it a-"

Behind the pair, the sound of shattering glass and yelling stopped them in their place. Lottie whipped around, watching as a man ran towards them.

"Lex?" She called, trotting closer. "Lex, what ar-"

As soon as the man, who she swore looked exactly like Lex, got closer he reached out. Lottie was slammed back as he barreled through, slamming flat against the side of a truck parked on the road. Stars filled her vision and suddenly she was on the ground, Chloe in front of her and holding up fingers. Once Lottie blinked the stars away, she could focus.

"Who was that?" She asked.

"That was _Lex._ " Chloe said, helping her up.

"No, no, it can't be. Lex is in Metropolis."

"You sure about that?" Chloe asked as they hurried around the corner.

The man had disappeared, completely and totally. Lottie whipped out her phone, dialing Lex's number as she held the back of her head as it throbbed. It rang, and rang, and rang, until finally the other end picked up.

"Hey, I'm busy. Whats wrong?" Lex asked, there sound of chattering in the background.

"Where are you?" Lottie said, her voice panicked.

"I'm at the meeting in Metropolis." Lex sounded confused, excusing himself to the others on the other end. "Whats going on?"

"You're going to want someone to confirm that." Lottie looked to Chloe, looking equally confused. "Because someone that looks an awful lot like you was causing havoc downtown."


	10. Chapter 10

"How's the head?" Chloe asked as she sat at her desk, typing away at the new LuthorCorp computers.

"Pounding and medicated." Lottie said, dropping her bag in a seat across from her.

She peeked around the monitor, smiling as Chloe minimized the window.

"Come on, I can't see my own story?"

"Not yet, it's still a rough draft." Chloe said, watching as Lottie dropped into an office chair beside her. "How was your free period?"

Lottie shrugged as Pete and Clark walked in, laughing amongs themselves.

"You wouldn't believe it!" Pete said. "I actually beat Clark on the rope today."

"I don't think it's a contest, okay?" Clark said, rubbing his shoulder.

Tossing Lottie's bag over, Clark took the seat in front of the occupied desk and dropped his backpack. Lottie tossed her leather side bag by Chloe's feet and pushed away.

"Have you heard anything new on the bank heist?" Pete asked, peeking around Chloe's monitor.

"Why is everyone so nosy today?" She asked, shooing him away.

"I mean, Lex Luthor being accused of bank robbery? It's kind of a big one." He said. "Can't the Luthor's keep their hands to- oh shit, sorry."

"Oh no, you can say it." Lottie assured. "Just keep it to the singular. Our father gives us a bad reputation but I can promise you, it wasn't Lex."

"He was in Metropolis, anyways." Chloe said.

"Yeah, try explaining that to my dad." Clark sighed. "Lex swung by to talk before school, my dad couldn't even be in the same room as him."

"What is with your dad?" Lottie asked. "I met him our first week here. If looks could kill, there would be a new Luthor plot in the Smallville Cemetery."

As he walked around the Wall of Weird, Pete sighed. He was working it through his mind, the instinct to continue pointing the finger at Lex stumped by the others insistence. Eventually, he leaned against an empty desk and shrugged.

"If the dude looked so identical to Lex, then why is everyone so sure there wasn't some meteor freak stuff going on?" He said. "I mean, he was there during the meteor shower, for all we know Lex can literally be in two places at once."

"Wait, the Smallville meteor shower? Lex?"

For a moment, Lottie blinked, looking around her new friends. The room was struck silent enough to hear a pin drop, no one daring to speak first. Everyone could see the thoughts running behind Lottie's eyes as she processed that, finally shaking her head of blonde curls, bangs now brushing against her eyelids.

"I- no, Lex has never shown any kind of duplicity or, or... weird abilities. Trust me." She finally said. "Plus, Lex wouldn't just fling me into a car like that to get away. All Luthor judgement aside, we've never had anyone but each other. At least trust he wouldn't hurt me like that. It wasn't Lex."

"Okay, I hear you." Pete said, raising his hands.

"So who's on the suspect list, then?" Chloe asked.

* * *

It had been a surprisingly peaceful day working from home. Catching up on emails, screening calls from his father, avoiding another encounter with the dreaded Roger Nixon after his first threat of blackmail. That had been a fun encounter. Fun learning he also hadn't been the first Luthor approached, not even close. With a sigh, Lex leaned back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Of course, Lottie was a perceived easy target. They always underestimated the younger Luthor. While Lex prided himself on getting things done, Lottie had less of a collar around her throat holding her back. The complex that had developed was always in need of check. Perhaps that had been the real reason behind Lionel sending her with Lex, he didn't want to deal with her outbursts himself.

As if on cue, the office door flew open to the vision of Lottie almost seething.

"Why didn't you tell me it was the Smallville meteor shower?" She spat.

"Why what?" Lex said, his brows drawing together.

"Dad always said you had an accident, that's why... why you lost your hair. You never told me it was the Smallville meteor shower." She said, planting her hands flat against the desk. "I feel like that would be vital information considering we moved back."

"Just like Roger Nixon talking to you would have been vital information for me before he blackmailed me this morning?" Lex asked.

Lottie's face fell, the mask of confused anger turned to shock. Leaning away, she blinked slowly and took a deep breath.

"I took care of it. He... What does he even have on you?" She asked.

"Somehow he got ahold of my _seal_ records he shouldn't have access to. He's threatening to publish them if I don't pay up."

The two watched each other for a long moment before Lottie took a seat across from her brother. In that moment, they had nearly a whole conversation just looking at each other. It had unnerved Lionel how they were able to do that as kids, just look at each other and know what the other was thinking. It wasn't as literal as that, but after so many years they understood how the other thought. Lex was tactical and planned, always one step ahead of his opponents and ready to pull the rug out from under them unless they could be swayed to his will. Lottie was much more head first and impulsive, as a young Lex had once been, ready to attack the problem instead of solve it.

"What's your plan, then?" She asked.

"Easy, let him think he has it. Until he doesn't." Lex leaned back, a smile on his lips. "He could actually be helpful."

"Since when is the Inquisitor helpful?"

"Since I need someone without good standing in the journalistic world to do some digging for me." He said, sighing. "I need to show you something. Promise you won't freak out?"

"Since when could I promise that?"

With a laugh, Lex lead Lottie out of the office. Down the hall and down a few stairs, Lex unlocked a door he'd never shown his sister before. Just inside was pitch black, only a center fixture illuminated. Lottie entered without second thought, walking down the few stairs to see the wrecked Porsche. It looked worse than she had expected, the roof almost pulled back like a can. Her head sped up at the sight, turning back to her brother as panic started to well up.

"How did you survive that?" She asked, her voice quiet.

"That's what I want to know." Lex circled the car, running a finger against a smooth edge. "When I drove off that bridge, I was so sure I'd hit Clark. But you've seen him, he was fine. Completely and totally fine. How do you explain that?"

"You didn't actually hit him, you swerved just in time." Lottie said.

"That's what I thought, too. But I know what I saw." He said. "And besides that, how did he get me out?"

"Clark... He..."

Lottie was at a loss for words, struggling to pull a real thought together. Looking to Lex, she realized he was thinking the same thing. There was no explaination.


	11. Chapter 11

The fire crackled as the Luthor siblings played their game of billiards. Between the two of them, Lex had always been the better player, but he let Lottie win every once in a while. This was not one of those games.

"Well, look at the happy family." Roger Nixon said as he entered the office.

"Hello, Roger." Lex said, shooting another ball into a pocket.

"So, what do we say? Am I going to print this week?" Nixon asked.

"I'm afraid not." Lex sighed.

He nodded to Lottie. Cue stick still in hand, she walked to Lex's desk and picked up an envelope of money. Nixon snatched the envelope from her hands as she approached, giving it a cursory look.

"Well, it was nice doing business with you, Mr. Luthor.'

The siblings exchanged a look as he turned from them to leave. Before he could take a step to the exit, the thick end of Lottie's cue stick met with the back of Nixon's knees. He crumbled with a cry, falling onto his hands as the envelope slid across the floor.

"Now, now, Mr. Nixon. If you'll forgive my sister's excitement, our business isn't over," Lex said.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you people?" Nixon spat. "All that money's gone to your head!"

"Says the man blackmailing us." Lottie said, nudging the reporter onto his back with the toe of her black Oxford shoe.

"Now here's what you can do..." Lex shot another ball into a pocket. "You can leave with that money, even a little extra for damages, but you'll be a new man."

"A new man with bad knees." Nixon looked from one sibling to the other. "Whats the catch?"

"No catch." Lottie said. "You get to start over."

"Maybe a new life as a murderer would suit you," Lex continued.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You can check, if your phone even works." He shot another ball, watching it drop. "Social security, credit cards, everything. It's gone, Roger. Not to mention you illegally obtained sealed records. That was your brother, wasn't it?"

Nixon looked between the teenager standing over him, cue stick at the ready, and the man threatening him. This is what he had been risking when threatening the Luthor's, yet he hadn't thought it would have actually happened.

"What do you want?" He asked, still eyeing the billiards cue in Lottie's hands.

"You're going to do us a favor to make up for threatening my baby sister and I." Lex sighed. "You're going to snuff out any bad stories, sweep them right under the rug. Print something nice for a change."

Nixon nodded furiously, eyes darting between them.

"There's one more thing."

Lex set aside his own cue stick, walking towards the door and motioning for Nixon to get up. As they left the office, the siblings shared a look. Lex nodded, closing the door and leaving his sister alone.

The quiet of the crackling fire was calming on Lottie's nerves as she took a seat on one of the couches. The next part of the plan was going to be hard, but she was sure. Nixon could do the heavy lifting, but there was still good old fashioned surveillance.

She pulled out her cell phone, dialing quickly before bringing it up to her ear.

"Sullivan residence." Chloe's cheerful and bright voice came over the line.

"Hey, it's Lottie. I'm sorry its so late." Lottie said, smiling.

"Hey, no worries. I actually have more news about our bank robber," Chloe said.

"Want to talk them over lunch tomorrow?"

There was a long pause before Chloe kind of laughed, sputtering over her words for a moment.

"Um, yeah. Lunch sounds good." She finally said. "I have to ask, though, the intent behind it."

"Well, Chloe Sullivan..." Lottie let a pause stretch out between them, counting the seconds. "I'm asking you on a date."

"Oh, Lottie, I..."

There was a moment when Lottie worried she'd misread Chloe. She thought there was something there, a spark that could have been. Perhaps it was her own attraction to Chloe blinding her to the fact that Chloe didn't feel the same.

"I would love to." Chloe finally said.

"Great, I'll pick you up."

"Can I ask where we're going?"

"Please," Lottie laughed, "can't we have some surprises?"

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow."

As Lottie hung up, the office door swung open again. A lone Lex entered, brow raised at his sister.

"It's done."


	12. Chapter 12

Whatever Chloe had expected for their first date, it hadn't been this. Luthor's usually travelled in style, but sitting in the back of a little Italian bistro with the cheapest and most delicious sandwiches she'd gotten her hands on was a different thing all together. It felt both like a normal day out with a friend and a peek behind the door her reporter brain was clamoring to know more about. There was the obligatory security detail standing at the entrances and keeping a close eye on the girls, but it still felt almost like a normal date- not that Chloe really knew what a normal date was like.

"You know, I had expected a lot of different things today, but feeling like I'm in The Godfather?" Chloe laughed, biting off the end of a pickle spear.

"I hope that's a good thing," Lottie said.

"I mean, compared to the kinds of... dates I'd be going on in Smallville, it's a dream," she said. "Not many guys in Smallville would take me on a helicopter ride, thats for sure!"

The two laughed together as Lottie reached over, tangling their fingers together. It was an innocent gesture, yet Chloe felt her heart skip a beat. This was the last place she ever saw herself being. Yet she was on a date with the youngest Luthor, more excited than she had when Danny Kwan asked her to the seventh grade formal.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" Lottie asked.

"Nothing, just processing," Chloe said. "I mean..."

"You never saw yourself with a woman?"

Their eyes met for a moment. That wasn't exactly what Chloe thought, but it was almost right on the money.

"I never saw myself with anyone but a Smallville farm boy." She admitted

"Clark?"

Chloe laughed, squeezing their fingers together.

"That obvious?" She asked, sighing deeply. "Yeah, but... you know, I'm not too mad about how this is going."

The start of a pit was picking at the bottom of Lottie's stomach. This was her in. If anyone knew everything about Clark, it was going to be the best friend who's been crushing on him for years. They were having fun, they could still have fun while Lottie got information.

"I'm glad," Lottie said. "But I can see the whole farm boy appeal. He jumped in a river to save Lex, not everyone would be that brazen."

"Brazen is one thing to call it." Chloe said, sipping her soda.

"What would you call it?"

"Idiotic? I mean, he narrowly misses getting hit but jumps into a rushing river anyways? Not to say saving your brother isn't a good thing." She back peddled. "Just, Clark has a bit of a savior complex."

"A bit?" Lottie snorted. "Since I came to Smallville, Clark has been orbiting every meteor freak and weird accident to happen. Lex is convinced he actually hit him that day, too. But... I mean, Clark's the most normal guy in that school."

For a moment, she thought she laid it on a little too thick. Chloe watched her with those big, blue eyes before a smile cracked over her face.

"Right? It's like he's some meteor magnet getting pulled wherever trouble is," Chloe laughed. "You know, I never thought I'd be able to talk to someone about this. It's just so _weird._ "

"Teenage boy weird or Wall of Weird weird?" Lottie asked.

"Well..." Chloe thought over the question for a second, chewing on her lower lip. "I have no idea how he keeps showing up just in time. Clark just... appears and disappears, and always in the perfect place at the perfect time."

And there it was, there was something about Clark. Lex wasn't just paranoid. The pit forming in Lottie's stomach relaxed some as she starting pulling her thoughts together.

"Hey, want a personal tour of the Daily Planet?" She said, squeezing Chloe's hand.

* * *

The fire crackled as Lex watched the light flicker against his glass of scotch. The helicopter had dropped off Lottie and Chloe hours later than expected. Their laughter and chatter echoed through the mansion as they walked from the drop to front door. It wasn't long after Chloe was sent off in a car home that Lottie appeared on the couch across Lex.

"You were right." She said. "Clark... he's not totally normal."

Taking a long drink, Lex set aside his glass and leaned back.

"What does she know?"

"Not much, just that he's good at appearing in and out of bad situations. Things always seem to work out miraculously." Lottie said, taking a deep breath. "They call these people, the couch and that shapeshifter, meteor freaks. Its related to the meteor shower."

The fire popped as Lex processed the information. It implied so much but confirmed nothing. Everything pointed to a clear idea, but other things were pulling his mind from Clark and how he survived the car crash.

"Lex, you were in the middle of the meteor shower." Lottie's voice was so quiet, her face scrunched up. "You were exposed to meteor rocks, too."

"I know." He said, taking a deep breath.

"What if..."

"No."

Her blood ran cold at Lex's tone, wishing she could push more. Neither wanted to admit what it could mean for Lex. Some latent ability, some mutation in his genes.

"Go to bed, you have school in the morning."

"But, Lex-"

"Pulling you into this was a mistake." Lex said, standing quickly. "Go to bed, go to school in the morning, but we're dropping this."

"No, you're cutting me off." Lottie snapped. " _You_ are going to keep pursuing this while _I_ have to sit pretty and worry about you!"

"Lottie, this isn't something you should worry about!"

"Too late!"

Lex watched the worried tears turning his sisters eyes glossy. It was more than he wanted her involved in, more than he wanted to be involved in. He was supposed to do his time and watch over Lottie but now a great mystery was unfolding before them.

"You can try and lock me out, but you know it won't work." Lottie said, quickly wiping at her eyes.

"Good night."

Shaking her head, Lottie hurried out of the library. Lex listened as he heard the stomping quiet and slowly disappear before slumping in his office chair.


	13. Chapter 13

The first bell hadn't even rung as Chloe typed away at her computer, looking between her monitor and one of her entries from the Wall of Weird. She felt a new energy to catelogue and investigate the weirdness of Smallville, to find the strange underbelly that sat at the center of it all. A nagging part that had her attention since the day before kept pointing her to Clark.

"Hey."

Chloe jumped, quickly shutting the window she was typing in before looking up. Lottie looked different than usual, her hair tied back and usually neat clothes untucked and hanging.

"Hey, what's up?" Chloe smiled.

"Yetserday... I had a great time, but I cant stop thinking about our conversation." Lottie said, licking her pale lips. "I think we should investigate the meteor freaks."

"What?"

Taking a deep breath, Lottie took a seat and rolled over to Chloe. Bringing Chloe's hands into hers, she tried to hold her gaze.

"Chloe, you're on to something and I want to be there when you find it. These meteor rocks are changing people in amazing and terrible ways."

"I-I know, but where-"

"Do we start?" A smile twitched over Lottie's lips before she peeked at the door. "I started snooping last night. You know our class field trip to the fertilizer plant?"

"Yeah, my dad has been practicing his jokes for weeks."

Taking a deep breath, Lottie peeked at the open office door again before leaning in.

"This has to stay between us." She said, quickly pulling a disk case from her leather messenger bag. "I found something. My father... there's something in the plant, a lower level that doesn't show up on the plans."

"Okay?" Chloe took the disk, looking between it and Lottie for a moment. "Why are you showing me this? If you're saying what I think you're saying, this puts your family in a bad light."

"It puts my father in a bad light. Chloe, I don't want to be like him, I don't want to let him keep getting away with whatever he's been doing in the shadows."

"What about Lex?"

What _about_ Lex? That was the only thing Lottie wasn't sure of. All she knew was learning more about Clark and the weirdness of Smallville was important to him, and maybe important to his future. Considering the mutations that had popped up around the school already, the things whispered in the high school rumor mill, it made Lottie nervous.

"All that matters is finding out what our father is doing." She whispered.

Chloe watched Lottie for a moment before grabbing her hand and squeezing. She nodded quickly and dropped the disc into her backpack.

"Okay, meet me here after school."

* * *

Moving up his yearly physical was easy enough, but a feeling of dread settled in Lex's stomach as he requested the battery of tests. There was little he had to go on except the idea that meteor shower did something to those caught in it. Yet he worried. Radiation giving people superpowers was a fantasy, the realistic potentials ran through his mind.

"How fast can we get those results?" He asked as the physician packed away the last vial of blood.

"You've asked for quite the list, we'll have most results before the end of the week. Others..." The doctor said, clicking shut his briefcase. "Well, it could take an upwards of two weeks."

"Make it one and I'll make sure there's a Christmas bonus in your stocking this year." Lex smiled as he held a cotton ball to the tender crook of his elbow and took a seat at his desk.

The doctor paused, looking over Lex for a moment. He laughed, adjusting his glasses.

"We'll see what we can do, Mr. Luthor."

As the doctor left, the familiar form of Clark slipped in after him.

"Hey, what do I owe this honor?" Lex asked, smiling as he tossed the bloody cotton ball into the trash.

"Thought I'd say hi after dropping off the produce." Clark's brow furrowed as he watched Lex roll down his sleeve, looking back at the door. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just a yearly physical. Insurance and all that."

Nodding slowly, Clark wondered with Lex to the bar and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Part of Lex wondered, watching the endearingly awkward kid, if his ideas about their meeting was off. Nothing about the crash made sense, but nothing in Smallville did. Why keep digging when he could just accept the infinite mysteries of the world?

Because a Luthor never accepts _I don't know_ as an answer, his father's voice said in the back of his head.

"Clark, you've lived here your whole life. Has Smallville always been as active as this?"

"Active?" Clark asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"Since moving here, theres been a new unexplainable incident every week." Lex said, pouring himself a drink and offering Clark a sparkling water. "Now, I know what the paper says. Pyromaniacs, homicidal history buffs, particularly good teen con artists... but word travels in small towns."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

There was that wall Clark kept putting up, acting dumber than he actually was. He may be a little dense, but Lex knew Clark wasn't oblivious.

"So since the meteor shower, you've never notice anything... weird?" Lex asked, deciding to take the direct route. "That Greer kid had my face when she robbed the Smallville Bank & Loan, Clark."

Clark set the glass bottle back on the counter, jaw tight as he avoided Lex's gaze. He wanted to drop the line of questioning so bad, but his own worry about what the meteor shower meant kept circling the drain.

"Listen... I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, I just want to know what's going on here." Lex said, sighing. "Clark... Clark, I was here as a kid, on the day of the meteor shower."

That got Clark's attention. His head snapped up, suddenly taking in every detail of Lex like he was trying to see into him. See what was wrong with him.

"You were?" He asked, swallowing thickly.

"My dad wanted to show me all that could be mine when I wandered into a corn field. The same one I found you strung up in. Some kid was there, and then the meteors started coming on..." Lex sighed, feeling a tightness forming in his chest as the memories of panic and fear bubbled up. "Since coming here, I've started to wonder about that day. If I'm being honest, Lottie has been pretty worried about it to."

"You're worried something happened to you?" Clark asked.

"Losing all my hair feels like a pretty sweet deal for all the radiation I was probably exposed to." Lex laughed, rubbing the back of his smooth head. "But now... I'll be honest, my physical wasn't for a couple more weeks, but I can't help but worry."

"Did you get checked out after the meteor shower?"

"Of course." Lex took a long sip of his scotch, feeling the knot of anxiety relax some. "According to every doctor my father brought in, I was in perfect health."

"Then why are you worried about it now?"

It was such an innocent question, but remembering the information Lottie had gotten, Lex couldn't help but wonder if he was being interrogated. If Clark had his own kind of meteor related mutation, was this just a friendly question or sizing up Lex?

"If these strange occurances weren't normal before, doesn't that imply things are manifesting now?"


	14. Chapter 14

The time went by slowly as Lottie waited in her room. Pacing a line in her pink rug, she kept checking her watch. With the field trip tomorrow, she was anxious to check with Chloe on their game plan. The plans Lottie had managed to pull didn't have much, but it was a start. It was her first hint there was more than met the eye about Smallville. Lionel Luthor hadn't done anything with the beyond waste storage in the third level until a year after the meteor shower, and then it disappeared from all documentation. What Lottie had found was after as deep a dig her nights between homework and first period.

There was a gentle tap on the bedroom door just after six before it inched open. Out of the corner of her eye, Lottie could see Lex leaning against the doorway, jacket slung over his arm.

"I'm heading over to Clark's, he's throwing a party," he said. "You want to come?"

"Aren't you a little old to be partying with high schoolers?"

Lottie knew she should feel bad for poking at Lex like that, its not like they were staying in a college town and Clark was different, but part of her got some gratification hearing his disgruntled sigh. After a pause, the door clicked shut and Lottie was alone again.

She took a deep breath, finally shutting her book and beginning to pace. It was a more productive use of her anxious energy. It wasn't long before Lottie wouldn't contain herself and slipped into the hall and began wandering. 

"So rich people keep these big mansions for cardio?" A voice called behind her.

Turning quickly, a smile spread across Lottie's face when she saw Chloe, school bag slung over her shoulder.

"Something like that." She said, meeting her halfway. "You'd have to ask my father."

"Like I'd have to ask him why the basement level was designated a research facility before it was wiped from the records?" Chloe asked, a proud smile spread across her face.

"Have I told you how brilliant you are?"

"You can tell me all you want after I show you what your father missed in his deep scrub of the LuthorCorp files."

The two girls walked around to the library, settling on a leather couch as Chloe pulled out her laptop. She tapped away at the keyboard and motioned for Lottie to look. Leaning in, she looked over the findings, an arm wrapping around Chloe's lower back.

"So what's this?"

"This is the few things left on the record about the mysterious level three." Chloe said, clicking over heavily redacted document scans. "From what I read, it's definitely meteor related. They were studying the effects on soil and the surrounding crops. At least, that's whats left."

"You don't think thats it?"

"You know Lionel Luthor better than anyone else, would leave it at that?"

Lottie laughed, shaking her head.

"No, no, he wouldn't," she said. "What about the floor plans?"

"There was one entrance, an elevator."

The buildings plans popped up on screen, two different colored lines tracing diverging paths.

"The blue line is my dad's tour plans, the red is ours."

"You're brilliant." Lottie said, turning to look Chloe in the eyes.

"Thank you."

They watched each other for a moment, Lottie's stomach doing a flip as she watched Chloe swallow. They were inches apart, starring into each other's eyes. For a strained moment, Chloe's eyes flicked down to Lottie's pink, glossed lips. As Lottie leaned closer, there was a sudden sharp pinch at the back of her neck.

"Ow!" She yelped, rubbing the sore spot as she leaned back, looking around the room.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked, leaning away.

"Just..."

The jingle of Chloe's phone interrupted the moment. With a sigh, she leaned down to her bag and fished it out.

"He-" She didn't even get the word out before her brow knit together and she sat a little straighter. "Wait, Pete- Pete! Slow down! Where are you?" Her face unscrunched and turned into blank shock. "We'll be there soon."

"What was that?" Lottie asked.

"Pete and Clark are at the hospital."

* * *

The Smallville Medical Center was a buzz as Lottie and Chloe hurried out of the elevator. Pete was stationed near by, hurrying to intercept them.

"Whats going on?" Chloe asked.

"Hey, everyone is okay. Well..." Pete's eyes flicked to Lottie for a moment.

"Where's Lex?" She snapped.

"It's not him. They found a guy in Clark's barn, Earl Jenkins," he said. "He says whatever happened while he worked at the LuthorCorp plant landed him here."

Lottie's blood ran cold. Lionel couldn't hide from whatever he had been doing now.

"What room is he in?" She asked.

"They're not letting anyone in right now, he's..." Pete sighed, looking between the two girls. "He's not in any shape to talk to anyone now."

"Pete, please."

"Down the hall, Clark's waiting outside."

Lottie hurried through, leaving the two friends to themselves.

"I thought you were coming to Clark's party." Pete said, looking over Chloe.

"I said we were studying tonight," she said.

"Just promise me you're not getting wrapped up in some Luthor scheme."

"Pete!" Chloe dragged him into a corner, looking around the hall. "Why would you say something like that? I thought you liked her, Lottie's a friend."

"She's a friend, but she's still a Luthor," he said. "Clark's best friends with Lex and now you're missing one of the biggest parties of the semester to study with Lottie. Don't blame me for getting suspicious about the Luthor's intentions."

"Are... are you worried we're not going to leave you? Pete, we've been best friends since middle school, nothing it going to get between us."

"You sat that now-"

"And I mean it!" Chloe grabbed Pete by the shoulders, making him look her in the eyes. "I don't know the future, but I promise you right now that Clark and I aren't leaving you behind. Pete, I promise."

For a moment, the two watched each other before Pete nodded.

"Okay, I trust you."

* * *

Just around the corner, Lottie came up on Clark standing at the window of a room. Inside, she saw the exhausted form of Earl Jenkins, a middle aged Black man covered in a layer of sweat as a nurse checked his vitals. He looked exhausted and worn out laying in that hospital bed, the result of Lionel's meddling in Smallville. Lottie felt sick to her stomach as she stood beside Clark.

"Do you know him?" She asked.

"He used to work on the farm." Clark said, his voice heavy. "He was one of my dad's best friends..."

"Until he got a job at LuthorCorp?"

Clark nodded, hus eyes falling to the floor.

"We'll make sure he gets the best medical treatment possible, I promise."

"Lex said the same thing when we found him." Clark laughed, the smile looking forced. "Do you know anything about a level three at the plant?"

"No, I have no idea what that is."


End file.
